Re: Why I suck.

[Arne Babenhauserheide]

Am Sonntag, 20. September 2009 19:21:51 schrieb Alan Grimes:
> I suck because I can't use the unix utility "find" at all without a
> textbook open in front of me. I suck because I can't use vi even with a
> textbook open in front of me (not that I'd want to).

As long as you can use "man" or "info", you have your textbook, so never mind 
that. And just write down what you need. 
 
> suck because I'm merely a human being and can't even read much less keep
> up with the (linux) kernel developer's mailing list 

I doubt there are many people who can keep up with it. The basic technique my 
prof told me about is to get your patches accepted into the kernel, so the 
kernel guys maintain it for you :) 

> I suck because I failed to find a solution to enough of my problems, at
> the same time, while I still had energy, to get *enough* done such that
> it might become a successful open source project. 

That sounds like you started out with too high a goal instead of taking small 
but working steps. 

There's a reason why Hurd programmers didn't try to write their own kernel 
from scratch. It's the same reason why the GNU people went for using Linux: 
Writing a good kernel is damn hard. 

> lists. But since I suck, none of these efforts passed muster without
> some real working software as a draw.

You mean you started one of the thousands of free software projects which 
didn't (yet) work out? That's not that unusual, either. 


So, please get a grip. Life is hard at times (and I have my share of projects 
which didn't work out, too - some of them left wounds), but it's also 
wonderful, and if you really want to do something, programming has a big 
advantage over social interaction: You can split your task into many smaller 
tasks, so every tasks you have to do becomes simpler. 


The damn hard part is keeping your motivation up and keeping yourself from 
getting frustrated or getting so hard that noone wants to work with you 
anymore. 


And since you know some of your weaknesses, you can work on them. And if you 
can't get their root, then make yourself a crutch. 


Best wishes, 
Arne

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Ein Mann wird auf der Straße mit einem Messer bedroht. 
Zwei Polizisten sind sofort da und halten ein Transparent davor. 

        "Illegale Szene. Niemand darf das sehen."

Der Mann wird ausgeraubt, erstochen und verblutet, 
denn die Polizisten haben beide Hände voll zu tun. 

Willkommen in Deutschland. Zensur ist schön. 
                      (http://draketo.de)
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